Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray small angle optical system.
Description of the Related Art
There has been used an X-ray small angle optical system, which is configured to collect X-rays emitted from an X-ray source by a focusing device. In U.S. Pa. No. 6,504,902, there is disclosed an X-ray optical device including a multilayer mirror having elliptical reflection surfaces. As illustrated in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,504,902, a sample S is placed at a convergent point (focal point B) of X-rays reflected from a multilayer mirror 1, and an X-ray detector 3 is arranged downstream thereof. In other words, a region from the focusing device (multilayer mirror 1) to the sample is a focus region, and the sample is placed at a focal position of the focusing device. The X-ray detector is arranged in a divergent region, which is further downstream of the focal position.
In an X-ray small angle optical system, which uses emitted light X-rays from an electron synchrotron, a high-brightness and low-divergence (highly directional) X-ray source may be achieved. Therefore, in an X-ray small angle optical system including such X-ray source and a focusing device configured to monochromatize wavelengths, an X-ray detector is arranged at a focal position, and a sample is placed in a focus region between the focusing device and the focal position, to thereby optimize a small angular resolution.